We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tyler Q Rosen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Tyler Q, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
The most meaningful project that I’ve been involved with would have to be the 2020 film I wrote and directed titled, Doin’ My Drugs. This was an HIV/AIDS-awareness music documentary set in Zambia about my buddy, Thomas Buttenschon, who was born HIV+ in Zambia in 1985. His story of fathering two boys and becoming a famous musician was very inspirational to other Zambians. As a result, what started as just a film, turned into this whole movement. We ended up staring our own nonprofit organization and partnering with these massive HIV/AIDS organizations such as the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and UNAIDS. We put together these super impactful test-for-ticket concerts that tested tens of thousands of Zambians for HIV and AIDS. We saved a lot of lives with that project. It was an incredible journey.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I grew up in the metro Detroit area where my primary focus was on the arts and filmmaking. I made numerous short films and started working within the professional film industry in the mid 90’s. With filmmaking, I was able to join the Art Dept, which was incredible to me, ’cause I was able to merge my drawing/carpentry/crafting skills with my love of filmmaking. This blew my mind! After a few years of working on car commercials and working as a carpenter in various set shops in and around Detroit, I eventually found my way to New York City. There, I began taking on bigger and more exciting roles eventually leading me through the ranks of the Art Dept… I went from carpentry, into set decorating, set dressing and propmastering which eventually lead me int art directing and production design. Along the way I also worked in various set shops and started to learn more about the business side. After 10 years in NYC, I moved to Los Angeles where I finally decided to start my own film company. This is when Whalefilm was born. My little film production house and fabrication firm.
I’m super proud of where Whalefilm has gone and where she is going. We have a load of very high end clients and we deliver a super premium product that our clients seem to appreciate. Whether it’s sculpting the Academy’s iconic Oscars statuettes into 7’H life-sized statues that they use on their red carpet, or to building out some of the exclusive, VIP backstage areas of the Coachella Music & Arts Festival, we are really proud of the work we do. If you dream it, we can bring it to life. Seeing this company now take flight has been a very gratifying experience. The entertainment business is not always easy, but it can be very rewarding when you are able to deliver on these higher-profile projects.
I’d have to say the very best thing I love about this company is that I’m now able to hire folks who are some of the absolute best in the biz in what they do. Sculptors, painters, filmmakers, project managers, directors of business development… are just a few a the many different types of skilled individuals we have now at the firm. It’s just all so exciting!! There is such a great feeling when you are surrounded by, and get to work with, such dedicated and passionately talented individuals who then form a super team, a master mind, if you will. It’s amazing and very, very inspirational on a daily basis! I’m so thankful for it all.
Now, Whalefilm is producing its own films, delivering custom millwork into stadiums, fabricating themed projects into theme parks and operating within the celebrity-driven live event circuit. It’s so exciting.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the opportunity to inspire others through your creations. Whether it’s through film or a sculpture, by far this is the coolest thing about creating art to me. I absolutely feed of others art on the daily. So for me to now hav these avenues that allow me to potentially inspire others is just so incredible. Being a creative with a business, set within the Los Angeles entertainment industry, gives you even more opportunity. Due to the high-profile nature of our clients, we are able to showcase our work on a much grander scale and to a much wider audience. It’s so badass.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
For me, entrepreneurship was very much a square peg/round hole in the beginning. As someone who began on the artistic side of things, I found navigating through the dark forest of business incredibly frustrating in the beginning. That took time, but the more I’ve learned, the more I’ve learned to love both sides of it all. I can see a business-first type finding it difficult to understand this as it may just come more naturally to some. In the end, it’s all about who you surround yourself with. As mentioned before, the opportunity to build out a super talented and intelligent team has been a thrill.
Contact Info:
- Website: Whalefilm.tv
- Instagram: whalefilm
Image Credits
Whalefilm Staff